Four SIUE athletics programs were listed among the nation’s best for their high marks academically.
The SIUE men’s cross country, women’s tennis, women’s soccer, and softball teams were among the teams listed by the NCAA as having earned Public Recognition Awards based on their most recent multi-year Academic Progress Rates (APR). A total of 976 NCAA Division I sports teams (594 women’s teams and 382 men’s or mixed teams) were honored for scoring in the top 10 percent in each sport with their APRs.
The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement that the NCAA uses to track classroom performance of student-athletes in every Division I sports team.
“We are very proud when Cougar student-athletes’ commitment to SIUE’s value to pursue excellence is publicly recognized,” said SIUE Director of Athletics Dr. Brad Hewitt. “We are excited to be part of the NCAA’s recognition and are pleased to show our dedication to the value of academic performance. This success is a reflection of the daily efforts and support of the student-athletes and departments on campus, including Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Intercollegiate Athletics, and faculty and staff members who provide services.”
SIUE was one of eight OVC schools to have a least one sport earn a public recognition award. There were 23 OVC teams honored overall, the most overall in the eight-year history of the awards. Belmont led all OVC schools with seven followed by four from SIUE, three from Eastern Illinois, three from Morehead State, two from Murray State, two from Tennessee Tech, and one each from Austin Peay and Jacksonville State.
NCAA President Mark Emmert said top-performing teams this year posted APR scores ranging from 978 to a perfect 1,000. A list of Public Recognition Award winners is available at www.ncaa.org.
“The NCAA’s quintessential student-athlete exhibits dedication and commitment both on the playing field and in the classroom,” said Emmert. “These teams and programs truly embody the overall values of the NCAA, and have exceeded standards to post fantastic academic scores. We are delighted by such a clear example of our membership’s commitment to providing well-rounded experiences to student-athletes. ”
The APR provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester or quarter by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport. The APR awards two points each term to student-athletes who meet academic eligibility standards and who remain with the institution. A team’s APR is the total points earned by the team at a given time divided by the total points possible, multiplied by 1,000. It includes four years (this year’s numbers included the school years of 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12).
A total of 268 institutions, out of 346 Division I colleges and universities, placed at least one team on the top APR list.
List of Award Winners (Searchable) | Complete NCAA Release